When the @BillHoppeSabres sent out a tweet saying that Joe Finley was being invited to the Buffalo Sabres camp it did not seem to create that much news and that’s because not many camp invites ever amount to all that much. Now that Finley’s had some time at camp he’s being noticed and it’s not likely he’ll crack the Sabres lineup but there’s some room in the Rochester Americans lineup.

So, why hasn’t this former first round pick cracked an NHL lineup yet? A combination of untimely injuries and a lot of depth in the Washington Capitals organization when he played for the Hershey Bears. The same thing could happen here, he’ll have to prove extremely valuable to take ice time away from a Sabres draft pick.

He’s big, he can play different positions and he can skate.. a player to watch.

Finley isn’t shy about physical play and fighting; his stats certainly bear that out.

“But that can’t be your main focus,” he said. “You have to go out and make plays and be good defensively, play good minutes on the penalty kill.”

Finley said the Sabres’ message was short: “They just said, ‘Come in healthy, come in in good shape and show us what you got.’

“I’m not feeling like a rookie at all. This is my third NHL camp. You’re going in here with a purpose and that’s to show people what you’ve got. … It’s a do-or-die mentality and that’s how you have to carry yourself.”